The Boulder resident in the early 1980s wrote the definitive homebrewing guide, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, and added a fresh, chilled-out mantra for those attempting to brew: “Relax. Don’t Worry. Have a homebrew.”

We posed six questions to Papazian — a six pack — the second installment in what will be a regular feature on First Drafts. Read our exchange below, which, as always will be edited for space and clarity.

Question: What are the best new trends in either home brewing or beer in general?

Answer: From a personal and selfish perspective, I’m discovering more and more breweries are offering beers that are 5.5 percent (alcohol by volume) or less that are full flavored. For me, I am able to enjoy a few beers rather than stick with one glass of high-octane beer and I am out. So I like that trend.

Q: What beer do you like to make the most and why?

A: To reiterate what I just said, I like real flavorful beers that are around 5 percent (ABV) or less because I can enjoy them more frequently that are both refreshing and full of flavor — a German-style Helles, ordinary English-style ales. I have a Vienna mild that combines an English mild, which is low alcohol, and a Vienna lager. That’s what I always have, two or three kegs of low-alcohol beers. I do like the occasional strong beer, but I reserve those for the fourth quarter of a Broncos game.

Q: The Great American Beer Festival has grown every year. Do you see any big changes in store, or what can be changed?

A: It has grown moderately over the years with the number of people attending, and that is not our goal. Our goal is to grow the quality. It’s been going on for 30-plus years, and you can’t have a successful event unless it evolves with the times and circumstances and technology. We are going to continue to enhance the value of the beer festival for everyone. Sure, we could talk about doubling the hall space and having twice as many people there, but would that enhance the experience? That’s a debate we continue to have. I think we are at a good space now.

Q: Why has Colorado become such a big player in the beer culture?

A: Why Colorado? The grassroots of three decades ago (when the GABF started) established some very strong roots that are very sustainable. You have the original brewpubs and craft brewers that started in the 1980s and ’70s, like Boulder Beer, and they are still around. There are 130-plus small breweries in Colorado and we have a population of 4 million now. That’s a pretty darned good brewery to population ratio. I don’t see that as oversaturation.

Q: Best advice for a newbie homebrewer and not your famous catch phrase?

A: If anybody has reservations, sit down and have a beer and relax and just do it. Just brew it. There is for sure another homebrewer in your neighborhood nearby. And if not there will be a homebrew club nearby. Get online to www.homebrewersassociation.org and go to the club directory and find a homebrew club. Take a visit. Experience the fun and get exposed to the beer people are making. Just make your first batch. People are always extraordinarily surprised at how successful they are. That’s why there are so many homebrewers. It’s an easy do. And you rewarded pretty darned quickly.

Q: What are you most proud of about your book?

A: People are always coming up to me and saying the book has really changed their perspective on beer and even their outlook on life. One of the things that I am finally realizing, there are 1.2 million copies of that book out there. And I estimate that 95 percent of the nearly 2,000 small brewers in this country have their roots in homebrewing. Many of them come up to me and say they wouldn’t be in business today without my book. And I am thinking, ‘God, that’s like $3 billion worth of employment.’ Never mind the beer sales. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the grass roots movement of homebrewing, and my book is definitely part of it. People from all walks of life have made a switch or embraced craft beer, and small businesses are buying equipment from other small businesses. I am kind of proud that that little book has had an economic impact that no one has quite really realized. I had two or three beers the other night and had time to reflect and I said, ‘Wow. I like to see those bubbles keep rising.’

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!